Tinubu Is My Friend, But I Don’t Like The Direction He Is Going – Donald Duke

Former Governor of Cross River State and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate Donald Duke has said the country would not achieve much if it continues under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Naija News reports that he gave the warning on Monday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu.

He said his political differences with Tinubu should not be mistaken for personal animosity, explaining that their friendship remains intact.

“President Tinubu is my friend since 1998, but I don’t like the direction he’s going. I think we will not achieve much going in this direction. But when it comes to personality, we remain friends,” Duke said.

The PRP presidential hopeful was reacting to the state of the economy and the opposition’s efforts to build a common platform to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

Duke faulted the hardship facing Nigerians, arguing that government policies should be judged by their impact on citizens’ welfare and not by official claims of economic progress.

He questioned the effectiveness of interventions introduced by the Tinubu administration to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate reforms and other economic measures.

When asked about several government programmes, including conditional cash transfers, grants for small businesses, student loans, minimum wage adjustment and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Duke challenged the host to reveal any policy that had personally improved his situation.

“Not one of these policies, would I say, has benefited me in any way,” he said, adding that temporary financial assistance was not a sustainable substitute for productivity.

According to him, government should focus on creating an environment where Nigerians can earn sustainable incomes, rather than relying on periodic grants and stipends.

“I told you that the mission statement of a government ought to be the productivity of its people,” Duke said.